Kung Fu Panda: Origins
by J.G. Whitefield
Summary: A young tortoise journeys across China in search of a reason why he was dubbed the next Dragon Warrior by his master Gongem, a responsibilty he deems silly and unnecessary. Together with his three fellow students and a new friend he must form a team to take down an ancient evil which has returned to claim it's vengeance on the living world.
1. Chapter 1: New Friends

**Authors Note:**

**Here's chapter one of my Kung Fu Panda: Origins, We'll meet the stories two main protagonists and some bigoted villagers. If you haven't read KFP Rise of the Shadow Dragon yet, I'd reccommend starting with the beginning chapters there before reading this. Although this is technically a prequel/ lead in to that story, Rise of the Shadow Dragon will give you a greater understanding of the KFP universe I'm trying to work with and little details on the characters that'll be revealed here. Both stories will be updated as I get new chapters and ideas down. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 1: New Friends

It was a cold evening in the Valley of Stone as the frigid air swept past the crowds of villagers going about their evening revelry. Nestled adjacent to the cobblestone street stood a rather dilapidated café with a sign reading Meing's Tea Room. "Alright that'll be 3 Yuan." A rather older looking Water Buffalo placed a steaming cup of fresh herbal tea in front of a 20 something Giant Tortoise. "Here ya go buddy." The Tortoise payed the cook and made his way out the street, cup of tea in hand. "Wow the Valley of Stone is awesome! I wonder how many famous Kung Fu Masters are here? Oooh maybe master Buffalo or Mistress Zebra, I wonder if they'll sign my shell-" The young Giant Tortoise was snapped out of his fan boy day dreams by a nearby commotion. "We don't want you here!" "That's right! Your kind belongs in the sewers not out on the streets!" A crowd of angry villagers were in a circle armed with pitch forks and torches. "Uh, oh looks like trouble." The young tortoise made his way over to the mob. It appeared the horde of villagers had cornered a young Burmese Python, throwing all manner of insults at the defenseless snake. "Ppplease I was just getting some herbs for a medical ointment." A warthog, clearly the ring leader of the mob, stepped forward. "Yea right! More like some ointment to make your venom stronger." The python pleaded in an almost in-audible whisper. "I-I'm not even venomous see…" He opened his jaw to reveal his mouth full of razor sharp fang's, not the best choice of action for the escalating situation. "Enough! We've had it with you slithering evil serpents, weaving your lies and poisoning are people!" A large Steer raised his axe to decapitate the defenseless serpent. The python flinched, tightly closing his eye's and praying for a quick demise.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The python opened his eye's in astonishment. A Giant Tortoise dressed in a brown sash and sedge hat stood between him and the enraged Steer, gripping the axe blade in his claw. "Why don't you all bug off and leave this poor villager alone!" "Leave him alone, leave him alone! Are you insane turtle!?" "I'm a Tortoise, and no it seems you are the ones off your rocker." The ring leader stepped forward motioning toward the steer to lower his axe. "You're clearly not from around here bub. This vile creature and his entire kind have been terrorizing the Stone Valley for years. They are demons, spirits of the underworld the spawn of dragons, and should all be destroyed for the safety of our families. Since you're an outsider and clearly unaware of the problems we have here I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Leave now and mind your own business or end up like this piece of trash your protecting." The Tortoise removed his sedge hat revealing a long pony tail of jet black hair. "Ah I see. So you want me to just walk away and let you slaughter this defenseless creature because you deem him evil.?" "Yup that's pretty much the gist of what I'm saying. So walk away and go munch on some lettuce or whatever the heck you shell backs do." "Huh…Munch on some lettuce?" The tortoise looked back at the petrified Burmese python and back to the grotesque warthog in front of the mob. "Nope." "What!?" "Perhaps you are hard of hearing warthog? I said no." "So be it. Get em' boy's." The mob moved forward closing in on the defenseless Tortoise and snake. "Looks like we'll be havin' some turtle soup for dinner huh boy's!" "Ha-ha yeah boss, I can taste em' now." _Sigh "_They'll never learn will they?" The tortoise murmured to himself as he placed his hat on the ground and assumed a strange posture the python had never seen before. "LETS GET EM'!" The mob charged in on the odd tortoise pitchforks, axes, and torches at the ready.

"Get ready to feel the thunder!" The tortoise belted as he vanished from the pythons line of sight. "_Who is this strange man and why is he protecting me? Yes I've done nothing wrong to these villagers, but they have every right to hate me after what my clan has done in the past _." The axe wielding steer from before looked around puzzled by the crazy tortoises sudden disappearance. "Where did that fool go?" "I'm right behind you." Before he could counter with his axe the tortoise landed a single blow to his shoulder instantly knocking him out. The hog boss stood horrified by what had just occurred. "What kind of wicked sorcery is this?!" "It's not sorcery…." _The tortoise took out another three villagers with similar results. "_It's called kung fu." "Bah, kung fu, you're no better than those meddling snakes with their dark magic!" The warthog boss charged directly at the unarmed fighter, unsheathing his blade. "Now you die fool!" _Clank. _The hogs sword fell to the stony earth bellow as he gasped for air collapsing onto the still tortoise. "Skadoosh." Gently placing the limp warthog aside, the tortoise narrowed his sights on the remaining three assailants. "Uh I think I hear my wife calling." "Yeah me to." "Let's get the heck out of here!" The pigs hastily disappeared down the lantern lit street. "Mmph to bad…I was hoping they'd be more of a challenge." The tortoise donned his sedge hat and began to slowly walk away. "Wait!" The mysterious fighter turned around to see the Burmese Python.

"I-I want to thank you for saving my life back there Mr. uh ?" "Oogway, and your name is?" "Uh…uh." The snake struggled to form the syllables for his name as his shyness got the better of him. "It's uh…Kai -Shek Fu, but you can just call me Shek… I mean Fu….I mean Kai. Yes that's it just Kai." Oogway knelt down so he was at the Kai's eye level. "It's no big deal dude. Besides those guy's had it coming to em' for picking on such a nice fella like you." Kai could pick up a hint of pride in the young tortoises voice. Despite his age this Ooogway character had the face of a man whose seen many things and been many places, weathered by the elements and obvious lack of sleep. "I should be thanking you Kai. This is one of the few times I've been able to test out the moves Master Gongem has taught me." "You were amazing out there with all those king fu moves." "Kung fu, and yea I might seem pretty awesome but Sytho, Zhun, and Lan make me look like total a newbie." "Really…their stronger than you." Kai couldn't imagine anyone capable of beating this mysterious tortoise who took out an angry armed mob in a matter of seconds. "Well…I guess… yea their a little stronger than me but Master Gongem tells me I'm the next great Dragon Warrior or somethin' silly like that." "T-The Dragon Warrior?" "Yea I'm supposed to be able to read this Dragon Scroll thing and know all the secret moves." Oogway clearly didn't take this prestigious Dragon Warrior title seriously. "What's your story man?" The tortoises eye's met Kai's glowing amber orbs.

"Well if you haven't already guessed I'm a member of the Python clan. We live on the outskirts of the stone valley, we're kinda outcasts." Oogway nodded digesting the snakes every word. "Ya see those villagers back there had every right to hate me. Fifty years ago our chieftain Zenigam declared war on all "two leggers" pardon the insult, and tried to destroy the Stone Valley summoning the evil demon Chimei. He almost succeeded but was stopped by a mysterious cloaked warrior and banished to the underworld for all eternity." The tortoise continued to listen intently. "A mysterious cloaked warrior?" "Yes, nobody knows who is or where he came from, but he possessed unimaginable powers, and the ability to take the universal energy "chi" and use it to stop Zenigam and Chimei before they could destroy any more of the Stone Valley. Then just as quickly as he appeared he mysteriously vanished saying the words: "One day Shenigam and his evil hordes will rise again. But fear not for I shall return as well. Perhaps not in this lifetime but in a different form." And with that he disappeared supposedly turning into peach blossom leafs." "Wow that's some story Kai, but why do the villagers hate you? Wasn't this Zenigam character the one behind all the trouble not you and your clan?" The snake scratched the back of his head with the tip of his tail. "Well yes, but he was our chieftain and he left a black mark on our clan ever since. We've sought a life of peaceful coexistence with the other villagers but were forced out after Zenigams defeat. Now we live in solitude seeking a life of peace and working as spiritual healers. That is why I was forced to come into the valley to seek out some herbs for my aunts remedies."

Oogway lifted himself off the ground and looked toward the unconscious villagers. "Ah, I see Kai." The python noticed Oogway's attention had turned toward the villagers he'd defeated earlier. "Oogway are they….dead?" "Nah, I just did a special chi block on each of them. They'll wake up pretty sore in a couple hours but should be just fine." "Oh that's good." The tortoise lifted his broken tea cup now totally empty off the ground. "Aw man, that was some awesome tea. Say, Kai what ya say we go for a nice cup of tea?" The Burmese python was stunned by the tortoises open invitation. Had he not seen how the villagers treated snakes? Had he not heard the horrible tale of Zenigam? "I-uh, are you sure that's a good idea. A lot of people here will shun you for fraternizing with a snake. "So let them shun us! I've got a proposition for you Kai and I think you'll find it excellent. But first things first let's find an open tea shop!" The tortoise wandered down the now empty streets, apprehensive serpent in tow.

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**Wow, Oogway saying Skadoosh. Well everbody has to start somewhere right? Yes the similarties with Po are defintely there and you have to imagine Oogway was not always a centuries old sage. I know in the films it's alluded that Oogway invented Kung Fu, for this story we'll assume there was already an ancient pre-exsisting form of martial arts, which Oogway would eventually hon and modify to become the kung fu as we understand it in the KFP film franchise. Thank you for reading! And if you haven't already check out KFP: Rise of the Shadow Dragon, currently a work in progress.**


	2. Chapter 2: Return to Darkness

**Chapter 2: Return to Darkness**

"Come on Aiguo we really shouldn't be out here!" Lifen knew better than to follow her mischievous brother out of the Panther Village, but she felt the burdon of responsibility weighing on her shoulders since their mother had passed and their father was away on business. "What's a matter sis, ya scared?" The glowing moonlight shimmered off the young panthers blackened fur, his emerald eye's casting their own eerie glow as he searched for their bounty . Unfortunately Aiguo was at the stage in a young cat's life where the drive to prowl the jungles took hold, the teenage panther had been very troubled after the death of their mother and these midnight excursions were therapeutic for his broken heart. "It should be right around here…" Aiguo dropped on all fours sniffing at the still humid air for any trace of it's sent. "What exactly?" His sister looked on disparagingly at her brothers futile quest. "I told you already…" The male panther pushed his way through the thick undergrowth carefully slashing at the vines and branches which lay in their path. "A secret treasure, buried here for over a 1,000 years." "Uh-huh, then why hasn't it been found yet Aiguo?" Lifen crossed her arms unconvinced, the young pantheress had enough trouble as it was trying to keep gawking males from the village at bay, let alone playing fairy tales with her younger brother.

Lifen struggled with the paralyzing burden of being the chieftains daughter, the envy of all the females in the Panther Village and the object of affection for all the young warriors. Her fathers words hung around her neck like a noose. "The time is fast approaching for you to choose a suitable mate to carry on our families legacy." _Legacy? I don't care about legacy! If I could I'd escape the village tomorrow. _The allure of being an independent nomadic panther was too favorable to pass up, but without her how could the village function? Then there was Aiguo…her younger brother was admittedly the only reason she'd decided to continue acting as the chieftains daughter, without her she feared he'd become a lost soul, or even worse take to a life of crime. "SIS COME QUICK! I FOUND SOMETHING!" The pantheress was snapped out of her self contemplation by her brothers calls, quickly making her way through the brush. "Oh man you've got to see this!" Lifen had located her little brother in a small clearing flanked by what appeared to be a large plateau draped in jungle growth. "WE FOUND IT! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT WE'VE ACTUALLY FOUND IT SIS!" "Hey, easy there Mr. treasure hunter." Lifen placed her paw up in front of her giddy brother, cautiously approaching the earthen wall. "What's this?" Her eyes' caught sight of a small seam underneath the moss and vines. Brushing aside the thicket her pale turquoise eye's caught sight of a massive roundel, presumably covering the entrance to a tomb. "AHHH!" Lifen reared back at the visage of a large serpent head with crimson eye's. "Hahaha your such a scaredy cat! It's just a stupid statue." Her brother nearly collapsed in laughter at the sight of his sisters terror. "Shut up pipsqueak!"

True, the demonic looking serpent was no more than a statue with gems for eye's, but there was something evil about it as though it were staring right through the panthers being. "I-I don't know if we should be here Aiguo…." "Ah come on, what happened to my big brave sis, your acting like a little kitten." "And your acting like an idiot! This statue was clearly put here to keep people away, people like us!" Agiou smirked at his sisters concern. She'd always been too cautious never taking any risks like their mother used to do, second guessing all of her actions. If Lifen ever hoped to become chieftain of the Panther Village she had to start taking more risks and stop being so afraid of everything. "Let's go back bro, this place is nothing but evil." "Aw come on! There could be like ton's of gold and jewels in there and you want to go back to the village?!" Lifen saw her brother begin to pout, biting down on his lower lip and balling his paws into fists. "No means no Agiou! If anything happened to you I would never forgive myself!" The panther glanced toward his sister, emerald eyes glossing over with tears. "Mom would've checked it out!" **_Sigh _**Lifen was taken back with her brothers comment as memories of their brave mother began surface in her mind.

"Alright cry baby, just one look that's it, then straight back to the village! Now help me move this stone." Agoui snapped back to his giddy demeanor leaping over to assist his sister. "What are these things?" The panther looked at the strange writing bordering the roundel around the serpent statue. "I guess they're runes of some sort, though I've never seen one's like this before." Lifen couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched as she began to pull at the massive stone. **_Gruuunt _**"Sheesh this thing weighs a ton!" Agoui griped as he tried pushing the enormous granite roundel. "Put some muscle into it sissy." Lifen chimed as she dug her claws into the rock." "Ok-ok let me try again, jerk." Together brother and sister began to shift the seemingly immovable stone focusing all their combined strength. "ALRIGHT AGOUI, ON ONE-TWO-THREE PULL!"** HHHHHHIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSS **A jet of frigid air swept the two panthers off their feet as the entrance to cave was revealed.

"WOW it's so deep!" Agiou began walking toward the mysterious cavern driven by the promise of whatever riches could be awaiting them below. "Hold it!" Lifen grabbed her brother by the shoulder before he could manage another step. She broke a nearby branch in half handing one piece to her brother as she struck her claws against the granite stone face igniting the wood. "Ah….ladies first." The male panther gestured to the open cavern. "Uh-huh, whose the scaredy cat now?" Lifen gave her little brother a playful punch in the arm as she made her way into the cave. Agiou looked at the strange petroglyphs lining the damp limestone walls. Each picture showed a cloaked figure wearing a hat and fighting a massive serpent similar to the statue they'd seen at the cave entrance. The exact details were very worn probably due to their age. "Hey pick up the pace Agiou!" The male panther turned back to see the flicker of his sisters torch now yards ahead. "Hold on I'm coming Lifen!" "Where the heck is this big treasure!? All I see is a lame cave with a bunch of pretty paintings…plus this dampness is getting my fur all wet and smelly!" Lifen navigated her way past jagged stones and small tidal pools all the while glancing back to check on her little brothers progress. "Humph, never fails, he want's to go treasure hunting and I'm the one left to walk in front in case there are any stupid booby TRAAAAAPPPPPSSSSS!" The pantheress felt the earth give out under her paws as her stomach climb into her throat and her world grew dark. "LIFEN?! SIS?! LIFEN?!" The panther swore he saw his older sister just moments before, how could she just vanish?

"

Oww that really smarts!" Lifen picked herself off the gravely floor brushing the dust from her fur. "Whoa what is this place?!" The circular room looked as though it had been formed from the rock rather than cut , the gold hued granite projecting it's own shimmering light, and a monolithic altar rising from it's center. "Huh-" Lifen was snapped out of her daze by freezing water droplets trickling down from the above. "Right, I've gotta find Agoui." "SIS?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Lifen's ears swiveled upward, she recognized that voice anywhere. "AGIOU?! I'M DOWN HERE!" "WHERE?! I-I can't see you." "Look for the giant well right in front of you!" "What?! What well, I can't see anything! I'm going back to get HELLLLLLPPPPPPP!"

Agiou shrieked in terror as his world grew dark and the ground beneath his paws disappeared. "AHHHHHHHH!" "Mmph guess he found it." Lifen looked up toward the approaching screams. **THUD. **The bright light stung at the panthers emerald eye's as a blurred figure above him came into focus. "L-Lifen?" "You always know how to make an entrance little bro." The panthress aided her brother to his feet as the two looked around their mysterious finding. "Wh-What is this place?" "Well from the looks of it some ancient temple." "But where's the treasure, the jewels, the gold? All I see is a bunch of stupid rocks and some shiny podium." Lifen patted her brother on the back. "It's ok Agiou, we discovered a lost cave and this weird temple, not bad for what I expected to be a wild goose chase." Lifen tried her best to comfort her let down brother, visibly upset by their newest discovery. "But there was supposed to be gold! We could've been rich and famous!" The pantheress continued to ease her younger brothers frustration. "Come on kiddo, we've been gone from the village for hours let's get back before they get worried." Agiou began to sob at the overwhelming disappointment. "But-but the treasure has to be here! I know it is I can feel it!" Lifen's patience was starting to wear thin. "THAT'S ENOUGH AGIOU, WE HAVE TO LEAVE, NOW!" "But the treasure…." "Enough! Mom would be very proud of what you accomplished, even if there weren't any treasure. She'd also wouldn't want to see you put yourself in harms way for it." **_Sniffle. _**Aigou looked up at his older sister wiping the tears from his cheeks. "Y-You really think so?"

"I know so Agiou." Lifen gave her younger brother a comforting embrace. "Now let's get going." Just as the siblings were about to make their way out of the strange cavern a glinting object caught Agiou's gaze. "We've got quite the story to tell farther when he gets back, wouldn't you say? Agiou?" The pantheress turned around in horror as she saw her little brother scaling the large altar. "AGIOU WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! GET DOWN FROM THERE!" The young panther couldn't believe his eye's, atop the altar was a massive black gem probably worth a fortune . "We did it sis, we actually found some treasure!" Lifen's calm demeanor gave way to horror at the sight of her brother reaching for the gem-stone. Light from the onyx stone twinkled off Agiou's large emerald eye's. "It-It's beautiful sis." "DON'T YOU DARE PICK THAT UP IT COULD BE BOOBY TRAPPED. AGIOU LISTEN TO ME!" The stone mesmerized the teenage panther, his sisters calls little more than faint whispers in the back of his head.. He could here a deep raspy voice in his ears. "You want it don't you. Yes…. release me young one and gain true power." "Is it… talking to me? Ah never mind Lifen will freak when she see's the size of this gem. Agiou cuffed his paw's around the smooth surface of the black stone lifting it from the dragon sculpture on which it was placed.

"Wow it's-it's amazing!" Agiou studied the mirrored black surface, seeing his own reflection and large smile. Just then an image of two amber eye's flashed in his conscience as overwhelming pain shot through his paws up through his arms and throughout his entire body. "AHHHH ! MY-MY HEAD! GET IT OUT-GET IT OUT!" Lifen watched in panic as her younger brother collapsed on the altar, his body writhing in pain. "NOOOOO AGIOU!" **CRRRRASSSSHHHH **The sinister black gem fell to the floor as the entire structure began to violently tremble. Throwing caution aside Lifen leapt up the altar grabbing her limp brother leaping from the top as the altar began to disintegrate. "We've got to get out of here!" The pantheress studied the crumbling temple for any means of escape, alas the only viable exit was the way which they had entered, up.

"Come on Agiou stay with me!" Lifen ordered her brother, now shaking in a cold sweat. She managed to climb her way through the well toward the cave above just as the temple below collapsed in on its self. Mustering up her last reserves of energy the pantheress sprinted toward the cave entrance, her brother slung over her shoulder. Lifen cleared the entrance before both panthers were enveloped in a cloud of dust, the cave and whatever riches it might have had were now lost for eternity. As the dust settled Lifen looked on at her brother who clearly needed urgent medical care. "How-how could I let this happen? Agiou you better not die on me you hear!" The pantheress noticed her brother was murmuring something she couldn't quite make out. Then his word's became clear as day. "Sn-Snake… It's the snake…."

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**Hope you guy's enjoyed chapter 2! As alway's reviews are greatly appreciated and encouraged.**

**-J.G.**


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